


i can't believe it's not delivery

by shafusu



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, also there's pizza, mentions of original characters - Freeform, noya has the worst fucking taste in pizza alive, other characters will be tagged as they appear, some type of slow burn garbage, they're kids and then they grow up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6353659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shafusu/pseuds/shafusu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's always that one spot of town that you like to call home, and maybe some day it doesn't feel like it--but you'll always go back. You won't leave forever.</p><p>Asahi knew that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. the little lightning bolt

**Author's Note:**

> 8 // 9:
> 
> That little lightning bolt might be nothing more than the sunshine of your life, you know?
> 
> What are you so scared of.

_Bang!_

 

Asahi flinched as the loose creaky door to his father’s pizzeria flew open and slammed loudly against the side window. The impact left a noticeable dent in the wood, one that Asahi didn’t have much time to focus on as an older woman strolled in with a small freckle nosed child in tow. There were hushed whispers, nothing he could immediately make out as she gave the small boy a stern look of disappointment and mild fatigue.

  
They were a pair of faces Asahi had never seen before, and he instinctively raised his hand to the clips holding his hair out of his left eye. Lips pursed, heart racing. They were coming up to the counter, the woman pressing her hands to the dinged up white counter that blocked off customers from the kitchen. Asahi wanted to take the time to remove the clips, but he could only imagine the talking to he’d receive if he lost another customer because he couldn’t show his face to them.

  
Birthmark? More like a curse.

  
Instead, he sprinted forward, scrambling for the front of the counter and hopping onto a stool his father put out for him. He was too short to reach the top still.

  
“H-Hello!” Asahi stuttered, sweaty palms sliding forward along the countertop slightly much to his disapproval, “W-Welcome to Holy Crust, crust so nice and fluffy you’ll be singing hallelujah,” That slogan was going to be the death of him one day,  “What can I get for ya’?”

  
The woman seemed taken aback, to be talking to someone so young, not even in the double digit years yet. It was a look of surprise he could take, and he did so with a bright smile, waiting for her response.

  
She laughed softly, but before she had a chance to speak, a voice piped up, “What are you doing up there!?” The little boy next to her said pointedly, golden eyes gleaming as he pointed a finger, “You’re too small!”

  
The accusation made his smile falter a bit into an uncomfortable stretch of his lips. It must have been obvious because the little boy’s mother turned to him and sighed, “Yuu, you don’t just say those things,” She reprimanded before turning back to Asahi, “Please don’t mind him–”

  
The little boy–Yuu–chimed in again, “But Ma! He’s like–super small.”

  
Asahi almost didn’t mind, he found. It was the first time his birthmark wasn’t the focus, the first time someone looked at him and decided to see past it. He didn’t know if Yuu was blind, or just courteous, although he disagreed with the latter, but he found it in himself to appreciate that. To appreciate the blind honesty that had nothing to do with his face, or the curse that plagued it.

  
“Yuu–please…” The woman pleaded.

  
Asahi took the moment to intervene, crooked smile wider and a bit more condescending than usual, “Betcha’ I’m still bigger than you,” He proclaimed.

  
Yuu turned away from his mother, staring straight at Asahi to the point where his facade almost broke. A bright grin covered his face, eyes almost illuminating, “Nuh uh! I’m totally bigger than you.”

  
Asahi quirked a brow, leaning farther over the counter, practically laying half his body on it, arms dangling slightly over the edge, “If ya’ order somethin’, I’m gonna have to come down and stuff to give it to you guys. I’ll come down and show ya’ I’m way bigger.”

  
Yuu began hopping in place, almost vibrating with excitement, “ Ma! Ma! Let’s order please I wanna win! I wanna!” He cried out, his mom giving Asahi the most grateful, albeit pained look he’d ever seen in his life.

  
Asahi only offered a gleeful upturn of his lips, pulling out a small notepad out from the small black apron he wore, pen in hand and ready to jot down the orders as they came.

  
One of the orders was rather basic, a slice of pizza, thin crust, with asiago toasted on it and beef over the cheese. A bit more extra cheese than usual, but it was nothing Asahi’s father couldn’t make, he knew. He’d seen quite a few people order something similar, and figured he should come to try it himself eventually.

  
The second, however, was the most horrifying concoction he had ever heard of, and Yuu’s mother seemed completely aware of just how foul it was. A thick stuffed crust pizza slice with anchovies, pineapple, banana peppers and mushroom, some potatoes thrown into the mix because Yuu liked those. Asahi tried his best to take the order without comment, only making his smile more artificial as he excused himself after jotting down the older woman’s name–Nishinoya Mizuki–and running off to the kitchen.

  
It was a less than perfect order, one his father also gave him a quizzical look for when he popped up into the kitchen and handed him the slip of paper.

  
“Boy, this is gon’ stink,” Masaaki remarked with a laugh, gesturing at the paper.

  
“I know, papa,” Asahi said with a nod, crinkling his nose.

  
“Well, I hope the ol’ gal knows what something like this is gonna do to that kid’s stomach,” His father joked, setting the paper up on the clip and going to work on one of the pieces of dough he already had out and prepared.

  
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of potatoes on a pizza,” Asahi commented thoughtfully as his father moved away from him.

  
He earned a laugh, Masaaki offering him a smile of his own, “Go tell our ol’ girl it’s gonna take five or so minutes. Ask again if she’s sure she doesn’t want drinks, on the house, lord knows she’s gonna need them.”

  
Asahi saluted comically, bolting upright, “On it, papa!” He yelled before bounding out of the kitchen toward the tables.

  
He moved around the counter, short enough to pass right under the divider and into the eating area. Asahi looked around, noting they were seated closer to the windows a good foot away from where the door slammed. He caught sight of how bad the dent was before clipping his side on one of the table corners, wincing as Ms. Nishinoya and Yuu turned to look at him as he finished making his approach.

  
“Dad wanted to know if you wanted drinks for free–seeing your order and all,” Asahi asked, twining his fingers in front of him, ignoring the throbbing feeling in his side.

  
“Oh no that won’t be necessary–” She began as Yuu stood up, eyes shining in the light that spilled through the window. Freckles that decorated his nose, a whiplash of blond in black hair, Asahi realized he was very close.

  
Almost too close.

  
The little boy had his eyes trained on Asahi instantly, causing him to lock in place as he moved forward. He felt the blood drain out of his face, hands becoming nothing but sweaty skin as he leaned his head away. The reaction, one of fear, one that Asahi experienced as a result of being naturally afraid of everything and anything that walked the earth.

  
His fear was calculated, a response. A wonder why he was afraid of someone a good inch or two smaller than him.

Yuu crossed his arms over one another, appearing just a tad bit unhappy.

  
“Get shorter.”

  
Mizuki turned herself around, calling out, “Yuu–”

  
“How are you skinny and tall?” Yuu asked, replacing his hands on his hips, scrutinizing Asahi,

  
Asahi shook a little, hands twisting in his apron, “I dunno how to shrink.”

  
“Huh–,” Yuu’s eyes narrowed even further, “Gotta make a shrink ray then!” He concluded as his eyes landed on Asahi’s nametag.

  
“Is that your name, bub?” Yuu asked, eyeing the tag.

  
“Y-Yes,” Asahi replied, eyes catching as Mizuki only shook her head and turned back around, fiddling with some papers she had set out on the table. It must have happened a lot, because she seemed neither upset or disappointed.

  
“What’s your nametag say?” Yuu said, the question sounding more like a command than an actual inquiry.

  
“A-Azumane Asahi–,” He responded with a hiccup, grateful for the lack of regulars in the shop today.

  
“It’s too long!” Yuu claimed with a huff, freckled nose scrunching up.

  
“What–I don’t, I don’t think it’s too long, my father gave me my name. Well, I don’t know if it is too long but–”

  
“Zuzu.”

  
Asahi stopped in his tracks, blinking at the smaller boy in curiosity. He was half thankful for the call back to reality, perhaps two seconds away from digging himself a verbal grave. Except this wasn’t much better, all he was doing was staring at Yuu, who seemed indignant about what he had just said.

  
Zuzu.

  
“Asahi! Pick up!” His father called out before he had a chance to deny, respond, or even truly acknowledge that he had heard what Yuu said, but it seemed like he didn’t care. Eyes widened in excitement as he heard the words pick up, running back to sit down.

  
“Bring me a soda, Zuzu!” Yuu asked, Asahi hearing Mizuki let out a gruff noise of disapproval but didn’t say no to him, instead she just shook her head and went back to her papers.

  
Asahi let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, running back toward the kitchen, his heart hurting his chest. A sign of friendship, maybe? That’s what that was, he hoped. Something to call his own that wasn’t the cursed black ridges on the left side of his face, by someone who didn’t care about them.

  
Zuzu, right?


	2. Operation: O.L.D.H.A.G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9 // 10:
> 
> The flowers will pay.
> 
> But you will not, this I say.
> 
> In my eyes, these creatures are weeds.
> 
> And you, the true rose.

Specs of dusted flittered in the dull sunshine that fell over the pizzeria, Asahi ignoring the stale air in favor of the homework that sat over the scratched up counter. It was nothing relatively difficult for him, he was making decent progress which was more than he could say for the boy that sat across from him.

  
Yuu sat on an equally high stool, tapping his pencil on the empty sections of his worksheet, glaring daggers into it as though it had committed some high treason. A pensive expression fixated itself on his face, eyebrows knit firmly together as his teeth dug into his bottom lip. There were a few more freckles, stretching away from his nose. They made him look funny, Asahi realized, although he chose not to comment on it.

  
It wasn’t a bad funny, after all.

  
“Zuzu.”

  
Asahi raised his head upon hearing the call of his name, blinking curiously and brushing away the hair covering his left eye, “What is it, Yuu?”

  
“I really hate homework,” Yuu sighed, the sound dragging out like a deflating balloon as he lowered his face onto the counter.

  
“You and everyone else on the planet,” Asahi replied teasingly, earning a half hearted glare in response, which really just looked more like a whiny pout.

  
“That’s not the point, Zuzu!”

  
Asahi came to learn that with Yuu, there was always a reason he complained. The complaint was never the real reason he was complaining, there was always some underlying cause to it. It would make sense that that was the case now, as it had been many times before over the course of the year they’ve known each other.

  
“Is there something on your mind?”

  
Yuu pushed his homework aside, choosing to fiddle with his pencil instead. He seemed to be having a hard time meeting Asahi’s eyes, which he found a bit alarming.

  
That was, until Yuu actually spoke, frustration crowding at the edges of his voice.

  
“Old lady Keiko wouldn’t let me take her cat,” He mumbled from his place on the countertop.

  
“You mean…” Asahi began, speaking as though he were walking a very fine line, “The older lady who you know doesn’t like you after ya’ stepped on her grass.”

  
“Yes! That old hag!” Yuu cried, raising himself up and slamming his pencil down aggressively, huffing loudly. Asahi flinched when the pencil made contact with the counter.

  
“Yuu–it is her cat,” Asahi attempted to reason, flinching yet again when Yuu snapped his eyes up at him.

  
“I just wanted to touch the cat, and the old croon wouldn’t let me! Is there something wrong with touching cats? Her cat liked me!” Yuu whined even louder, balling his hands to fists where they lay, lips pursed to a fine line before propping his forehead onto the counter.

  
Despite the silly nature of Yuu’s complaint, Asahi noted that he looked genuinely upset that he couldn’t touch the cat. He tilted his head a little, trying to get a better look at Yuu, noting the distinct glassiness of Yuu’s eyes. His father had never given Asahi much time to engage in most childlike fancies, and he never had been the rebellious sort.

  
Asahi liked common, plain. He liked knowing what was to come in the soft sunlight that seeped in through the scratched windows of the pizzeria. He wasn’t adventurous, and he didn’t get it. He could never fully understand the happy meandering that could be found with other kids his age. Except, Asahi also realized this wasn’t about him, and quickly fought through the little thoughts that fluttered through his mind until he found his answers.

  
He really didn’t need to understand why Yuu was upset, just know that he was upset.

  
And try to remedy it.

  
Asahi straightened himself up, regarding Yuu with a direct expression, “So, whatcha’ wanna do then?”

  
Yuu raised his head, sniffling loudly and rubbing his nose against the sleeve of his shirt, “What do you mean?”

  
Asahi ignored those narrowed eyes, laying his arms over one another, “I’m askin’, Yuu, whatcha’ wanna do about it?”

  
Yuu smoothed a fingertip over the length of his pen to the point, flickering his eyes down then back up, “I wanna get her back, Zuzu.”

  
Asahi raised his head slightly, “And just how are ya’ gonna do that?”

  
The other boy’s eyes lit up, bringing a knowing smile onto Asahi’s lips as he spoke, “Petunias. Her flowers! I’m gonna wreck ‘em!”  Yuu proclaimed excitedly.

  
He leaned forward, Asahi’s head canting to the side. More hair fell out of his line of sight, birthmark on full display with a grin plastered on his features.

  
“Ya’ should go for the roses. I hear she makes ‘em specially. It’d suck if those got ruined too.”

  
Yuu’s gaze turned electric, “Oooh, you’re bad, Zuzu! Who woulda’ thunk?”

  
Asahi laughed, his face heating up a bit, “I try sometimes,” He said cheekily.

  
The two waited till night came, the pizzeria closing but Asahi assured his father that he’d be back shortly. Masaaki scrutinized him, but said nothing when he learned it had something to do with Yuu. Yuu, who called his mother and she only told him not to get caught doing whatever it was he was going to do.

  
Masaaki smiled down at them both, “Don’t be the death o’ my son, kid. I only got one,” He said, ruffling up Yuu’s messy hair with a hand.

  
“You can count on me Mr. A!” Yuu replied enthusiastically, grabbing Asahi by the hand and leading him toward old lady Keiko’s home.

  
It was a good ways away, situated at the end of the street toward the end of the road.Asahi himself had never really seen her aside from a few spare glances and she never seemed particularly happen about anything. All the local children were taught never to go near her fence, some creating their own stories as to why she was to be left alone. Asahi had heard some of them, all of them far too far fetched to believe.

  
She was a witch.

  
An ancient being.

  
One of the local boys even dared proclaim she was an alien living within the shell of a human, like those suited men flicks he remembered seeing once.

  
It only made sense for Yuu to make the error, the misjudgement of character, to try and see kindness in the beadest of eyes. It showed in his unwillingness to let go of his hand until they got to the home. Perhaps it had something to do with what he told his father, a simple phrase, a big heart. Asahi could only wonder as he approached the fence carefully.

  
Asahi peeked over the edge of the white fence that decorated the outside of the home, standing on the tips of his toes to try and get a better look. Rows upon rows of flowers were lined up in the yard, a few fruits and vegetables, herbs as well, could also be seen from where he stood.

  
“How’s it look?” Yuu asked at a whisper.

  
“Plentiful, Yuu,” Asahi replied with a smile, earning one in return.

  
“Operation: O.L.D.H.A.G. is a go, Zuzu, lift me,” Yuu commanded.

  
Asahi nodded in the dark, taking in a breath to still the jitters that threatened to overcome his body. He stood behind Yuu, slipping his arms around the shorter boy’s waist and hoisting him up into the air.

  
Yuu gripped onto the top of the fence, carefully raising a leg up and over, Asahi careful not to let his grip on Yuu falter as he safely secured himself atop the white fixture. Yuu nodded at him, prompting Asahi to let go as he dropped himself fully onto the grass on the other side. As soon as he was sure of Yuu’s safety, Asahi followed after, limbs long enough to get his body over the fence without much problem.

  
Yuu motioned for Asahi to follow, their steps quiet enough that the crickets rang louder. Asahi’s eyes trained upward to the star covered sky, moon taking its place and showering the both of them in it’s white light.

  
He nearly knocked Yuu over, too distracted by the sky overhead.

  
Yuu only rolled his eyes, shoving Asahi playfully as he gestured over toward the patches of flora, “Her flowers are over there,” He said quietly.

  
Even against the faint glow of the moon, the flower beds were clearly visible, well managed and perfect. It was clear that every flower was individually cared for and tended to, treated with the utmost care someone could provide to keep them in their best condition for the most beautiful blooming garden imaginable.

  
Until Yuu kicked it and a good portion of soil and flowers went flying over the grass.

  
Yuu grinned widely then at Asahi, Asahi himself smiling and giving the plants a good kick of his own, the object of their contrived game being who could launch the most amount of flowers with the greatest range all while stifling the giggles that would undeniably be what got them caught. It was hard to stop then, hard to stop when the lights flickered on and someone was at the window, getting ready to look out.

  
They both made a break for it, Yuu finding the gate and propping it open as Asahi ran out, making their way down the street laughs filling the air as they ran. High on adrenaline from the potentials of getting caught, chests tightening, neither oy dared slow to a stop.

  
The only time they did was when they neared the pizzeria, Asahi fished out his copy of the keys, fumbling a little as he attempted to unlock the door in the dark. It took him a few minutes, finally fitting the key in right, and giving it a twist in the right direction, unlocking the door.

  
Yuu bolted in almost as soon as the door came open, Asahi carefully locking the door behind him before collapsing against it. Yuu lay himself on the ground, sputtering between sharp breaths and giggles as Asahi attempted to recompose himself.

  
Eventually, Yuu managed to sit up, gazing at Asahi with that all too electric grin of his. He gave Yuu a grin of his own, neither really being visible to the other under the cover of darkness that claimed the pizzeria.

  
Still, they both laughed, feeling completely and totally secure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written in collaboration with @asahisthickthighs on tumblr, they're my inspiration and my chapter planner for this. I've already started on chapter three, and four needs to be planned out. 
> 
> Thank you for your support.
> 
> Asahi has a birthmark covering the left side of his face, Noya has freckles.
> 
> My tumblr is @shafusu and this is the pizza!au, intensity is coming next chapter, be ready.


	3. Clover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11 // 12:
> 
> In those patterns on this frame.
> 
>  
> 
> These marks are yours.

Days winded down, Asahi took moments to note. School was becoming progressively more hard to get by, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle without several hours of studying. Sure, the studying was a bit harder than he really would have liked it to be, but there was nothing to be done about it. None of that seemed to matter anyway when the days blurred together the way they did. The enigma of time carrying both him and his childhood best friend forward into the future one day at a time.

  
Yuu was having the same problem, scraping by on his own and some of Asahi’s help. The two continued to stick to one another, although new friends had been made, preferring–in the end–each other’s company to anyone else’s. Nothing unnatural, though they did garner strange looks from classmates and their parents. There was only a year or so in their age gap, neither really considered it all that strange.

  
The two of them would always head off, away from the questioning looks, choosing to frequent the local park after school. A large oak tree became their confidant, gratefully making no mention or whisper of the hushed conversations they would have. It only sheltered them from sweltering heat waves, providing much needed shade on days like today.

  
“Ryuu is pretty cool! I thought he was gonna try and beat me up or something–not that I couldn’t have taken him on–but he’s actually really nice!” Yuu rang gleefully, smiling and showing Asahi the pictures he had taken on his phone at school. Asahi smiled in return at him.

  
“Kiyoko is very nice too. I think I’m very lucky to meet such kind people,” Asahi replied, subconsciously rubbing at the birthmark on his face. The source of a lot of his strife even now, and it probably would be for many years.

  
Yuu lay himself down on his belly on the grass, eyes trained on Asahi as his head rested on his freckled arms, “There’s nothing wrong with you, ya’ know that, right?”

  
Asahi’s smile turned sad, but he kept a cheery tone to his voice, “Yeah! I know–it’s just a little hard. People stare at me all the time, they always will.”

  
Yuu seemed to still a little bit, eyes squinting up at him. His dotted cheeks were puffed out and for a moment Asahi thought he was going to say something. Instead, however, he began looking around, golden eyes searching. Slender fingers reaching for the smallest flowers that lined the grass beneath them. Asahi tried to keep up with those talented hands, forgetting about the homework that was resting on his lap.

  
It took a moment, but Yuu began fiddling with the flowers, removing their stems.and setting them on the grass while he repeated the same motion with the other flowers. Yuu eventually scooped up his work, appearing awfully proud of himself as he slowly began dotting Asahi’s bandaged left leg with plant after plant. Asahi followed that too, slowly realizing that he was trying to lead the flowers up in the direction of the rest of his birthmark, lining it under the bandages.

  
He blinked slowly, finally finding the ability to speak up, “Yuu, what are you doing?”

  
“Whatever I wanted,” Yuu said simply, smiling up at Asahi when his expression turned quizzical, “Zuzu, you worry so much–that’s okay, though.”

  
Asahi didn’t fully understand, but part of him figured that he really didn’t have to understand. Yuu wasn’t going out of his way to hurt him. None of his words were ever cruel, or callous, although he did have a habit of being blunt. He had no ability to harm, although his clear disregard for the blunt decapitation of the flowers was concerning, Asahi couldn’t help but welcome it.

  
The flowers were welcome.

  
Yuu was welcome.

  
There was never a time where he wasn’t.

  
They stayed like that, quiet, under the rustling greenery that covered the heavens above. Yuu continued lining his leg until it was covered in purple, he even eventually got up and started putting them on his head. No words exchanged other than the thrummy laughter that happened when Yuu began trying to put them on the part of his birthmark that covered his shoulder. He was ticklish and Yuu wasn’t happy that he managed to knock half of his work off in one spasm.

  
He didn’t seem mad though, nothing but a child like disappointment clouding his normally bright features.

  
Before he had a chance to retaliate that judgmental stare, Asahi felt his phone go off from its place atop his mathbook. Asahi gave Yuu a quick shove, knocking the other boy back into the grass as he reached for the phone. A text message decorated the screen.

  
From: **Dad**

  
_> Asahi, where are you? It’s almost time for the evening rush!_

  
He gave the message a quick look over again, turning his head toward Yuu, who was laying in the grass, clearly offended.

“Hey, Yuu?”

  
“Yes, Zuzu? This better be an apology because I’m not happy with you right now,” Yuu answered, pouting against the ground below, refusing to look at Asahi.

  
“Well–no,” Asahi answered with a laugh, “Papa wants me to get to the pizzeria. Y’know how it gets during the evenings. Everyone’s off work and all the old ladies wanna get a piece of dad.”

  
They both crinkled their noses, snorting in laughter as Yuu responded, “Great Grandma Yukiko scared everyone the last time we had an evenin’ special. I’m surprised people still come over.”

  
“Nothing will ever beat The Great Mushroom Disaster of last year, though.”

  
“I can still hear ol’ wizard Kazume’s distant screaming,” Yuu said solemnly, looking off into the distance as he got to his feet, dusting off his knees and helping Asahi up once he put away his things, “I’m going along, Saaki promised to show me how to twirl pizza discs.”

  
Asahi shook his head as he dusted himself off as well, watching as the flowers fell into piles around him before following after Yuu.

  
They made it back to the pizzeria quickly, the two of them having a bounce to their steps as they moved past the front door and around that dingy old white counter. Asahi put his book bag off to the corner where the broom was, instructing Yuu to do the same to keep them from getting their feet tangled. They had already had an incident like that, and Asahi wasn’t particularly fond of cleaning cheese off the floor.

  
Yuu chased after him as he bounded into the kitchen, Masaaki standing there, already pulling dough he had prepared last night out. The balls varied in size, all the same recipe although they did have some gluten free choices for anyone that needed them. It was a very small thing, Asahi’s idea mostly, but he was proud of it. Proud of this small restaurant, one of the greatest accomplishments his father would always boldly proclaim.

  
Then he’d say, “Well, second to you,” Ruffling up his hair right after.

  
Asahi grabbed one of the dough balls and began pulling the thin plastic wrapping off, Masaaki doing the same. Yuu watched intently behind them, Masaaki himself handing him one of the smaller pieces. It reminded him of when he first began helping with food prep, and although it wasn’t that long ago, the look on Yuu’s face was almost nostalgic. A realization that’s probably what he looked like.

  
Small, enamored and amazed.

Asahi took it upon himself to begin first as Masaaki focused on preparing more dough for the inevitable dinner rush. He stationed himself at the smaller table, one his father had gotten made specifically for him. Yuu seemed mesmerized, eyes wide, enough that Asahi was able to dip his finger in some of the marinara sauce he had already thrown on top of his pizza. Yuu followed the red stained finger, reacting slowly when Asahi smacked it lightly against the tip of Yuu’s nose, earning a half hearted glare and a shove.

  
Asahi only laughed in return, cheeks burning when he saw Yuu’s doing the same.

  
“You’re horrible,” Yuu whined at him, mushing his ball of dough against the small area allotted to him.

  
“Nuh uh, you’re just dumb,” Asahi shot back, tone playful and light.

  
“Now, now, don’t be rude to each other,” Masaaki chided, tone too airy for it to be an actual reprimand, leaving a container full of old, but still hot, frying oil near the sink, “He’s teaching ya’ some very good lessons, Yuu, like don’t trust everyone.”

  
Asahi snickered as Yuu huffed in his response, “I never thought Zuzu would betray me.”

  
Before Masaaki could reply to him, the phone near the exit went off. That shrill tone and the sound of it explaining who was calling in the most monotonous voice possible, it was the literal definition of a machine. A machine come to life.The ones from the movies Asahi absolutely refused to believe weren’t a complete possibility. One day they were going to enrage them.

  
His hands stilled as he dropped Italian sausage over his pizza, trying to shake the image out of his head.

  
“Zuzu, something wrong?” Yuu asked, getting cut off by Masaaki.

  
“Asahi, toss out the old oil and put new oil in the fryers, I’m gonna go answer this,” His father ordered, patting Asahi on his shoulder before heading off.

  
Asahi wiped his hands off on a nearby towel, leaving his pizza on the table before moving toward the trough of oil. He was reaching for it when Yuu interjected excitedly, bouncing in place, practically vibrating with the electric energy he was known around town for.

  
“I wanna do it, Zuzu!” He chimed cheerily, eagerness lighting up his eyes.

  
Asahi only smiled, “Uh, it’s kinda’ high,” He explained, gesturing toward the container and it’s place near the sink, “It doesn’t look heavy but it is–hot too.”

“Please! I wanna help, I’ll be super duper careful,” Yuu pleaded, and it was hard to say no to someone so lively. It was hard to say no when those bright eyes were looking at him, innocence their everlasting feature.

  
A lot of things about Yuu made it hard to say no.

  
Eventually, the boy sighed in defeat, moving away and stepping off to Yuu’s side, to help just in case, “Alright! Just be super-duper careful, okay, Yuu?”

  
“Duh, ‘careful’ my middle named,” Yuu assured, standing up to the sink and reaching on the balls of his feet, hands stretched out.

  
At first, he had a very good grasp on it. Asahi watched him as he slowly maneuvered the trough closer to the edge. It was slow, methodical, Yuu sticking his tongue out in concentration. It should have been fine, Asahi figured, until the thing got closer to the edge. Most of the weight was being supported by the top counter, and any attempt to help was quickly shunned away with promises of success. And it wasn’t that he didn’t believe Yuu, he believed that Yuu believed he could do it.

  
He just didn’t know if he actually could.

  
He got his answer soon enough, when most of the trough was off the edge. For some reason, Yuu got the idea that putting his hands on the bottom was a good idea. He recoiled in pain, half of the balance tipping with the removal of his hand. He tried to catch the rest of the trough, but again, a hand under the pan. It was hot oil after all, there was no sense believing that the trough wouldn’t be hot.

  
So Asahi moved, instinctively as the rest of it threatened to topple over, throwing Yuu out of the way and sending them both and the container of oil to the ground. The loud clatter, a searing pain filling his right side. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think properly. It felt like something was eating at his skin, Asahi’s hands clawing at the tile, and something eventually does cut through that. Something frantically pulling at him.

  
It’s Yuu, a look of fear on his face, he’s unsure why. There’s too much pain and delirium from the impact to cut through.

  
“Are you okay?” He asks shakily, noting the glassy nature of Yuu’s eyes before he loses sight of him completely.

 

* * *

 

  
The next thing he remembers is waking up, groggy and tired, a cord tied around his hand. He’s not wearing his clothing, and everything is white, a surprise considering the pizzeria isn’t white at all. It takes Asahi a few moments to realize he’s not there, he’s not even at home.

  
He catches his father sleeping to his side, and another form, a smaller one, clinging onto his hand, digging his face into the sheets. The white sheets had a wet patch on them, the source being the smaller boy’s mouth, propped open as he snored.

  
Asahi slowly pulled his hand away, rubbing at his face before giving Yuu a shake to his shoulder. Yuu initially shoved at him in his sleep. It was strange, to see him so unwilling to wake up, Asahi had always known him to be an early riser. When the sun came up, so did Yuu, and it was fitting.  
  
This was not, this was surreal, this was something he never thought he'd ever see. He shifted despite the throbbing pain in his head, pain that he felt the more Asahi moved.   
  
Still, he tried again, reaching out and giving Yuu a quick shake to his shoulder and then to his head, ruffling up his hair.  
  
  
“Not now ma’, I don’t wanna go to school yet,” Yuu murmured tiredly, turning away from him.

  
“I’m not your ma’,” Asahi shoots, snorting when that finally rouses Yuu up, the look on his face one that was bitter. He seemed ready to bite his head off until he met his eyes. There was surprise in them, but that was quickly replaced by sheer joy.

  
“Zuzu!” He cries, practically throwing himself atop the bed, eyes clearly swelling with tears as he shoves their faces together in a fit of giggles.

  
“Hi, Yuu,” Asahi replies happily, albeit a bit tiredly, voice raspy.

  
Their noise rouses Masaaki awake, who swats him lightly for his negligence, although Yuu insists that it was all his fault. Not that Asahi particularly cared, he was just happy to see Yuu was okay. What was a few more marks to his already marked body, in his opinion. A few skin grafts, surgeries to his legs. What was all of that?

  
It was nothing when it came to ensuring his best friend’s safety, in his eyes.

  
What was the remnant of a burn, the shape of a clover on the back of his right leg in comparison? Yuu didn’t seem to agree, and even weeks after he was up and at it again, he still didn’t. It was the only thing they couldn’t agree on but that was fine.

  
Even Asahi could be stubborn if he had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for this being late, it's almost two or three weeks late now but it is here.
> 
> And I know it doesn't have the best conclusion but I ran out of time, I'll better plan out in the future. Now we're really beginning.
> 
> This was written in collaboration with @asahisthickthighs on tumblr. I'd like to thank him and the asanoya-net chat for being my support squad. 
> 
> I love y'all.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in collaboration with @asahisthickthighs on tumblr, they're my inspiration and my chapter planner for this. I have three more chapters planned, the second one is already in the works.
> 
> Asahi has a birthmark covering the left side of his face, Noya has freckles.
> 
> My tumblr is @shafusu and this is the pizza!au


End file.
